- What should be considered when watering Odontoglossum species?
- How are these orchids repotted?
- When and how should tooth tongue orchids be pruned?
- Which pests or diseases can the genus Odontoglossum be dangerous?
- How can an Odontoglossum orchid be optimally fertilized?
- What should be considered when caring for an Odontoglossum orchid in winter?
The genus Ondontoglossum now includes about 60 species of orchids originating from Central and South America after the splitting off of several species to other orchid genera. According to the special look, the botanical name can be translated into German as "tooth lip" or "tooth tongue".
Like all orchids, the Odontoglossum are very demanding in terms of care
What should be considered when watering Odontoglossum species?
In principle, Odontoglossum species should only be watered with room-warm and stagnant water. Lime-poor rainwater that has been additionally filtered is ideal. In summer it should be watered much more regularly and more plentifully than in autumn and winter. However, the root area should never dry out all year round and never suffer from waterlogging. The plant can also occasionally be sprayed with a fine mist of water.
How are these orchids repotted?
Since the Odontoglossum species have relatively fine roots, the plant pot should be high enough, but not too big. A plant should be transplanted as soon as the bulbs and plant shoots grow beyond the edge of the plant pot or when the substrate in the pot dries out very quickly due to the root mass that has grown.
Also, keep the following tips in mind when repotting:
- the next larger pot size should only be about 2 to 3 cm larger
- soak the roots in lukewarm water for about 20 minutes to make them more pliable
- after repotting, it should not be watered for at least 24 hours
When and how should tooth tongue orchids be pruned?
When repotting, inspect the Odontoglossum root ball and remove dead or muddy root pieces with sharp planting shears. After the inflorescences have faded, withered stems can be cut off slightly above the base. Otherwise, these slow-growing orchids do not require any pruning measures.
Which pests or diseases can the genus Odontoglossum be dangerous?
Regular checks are important in the fight against pests such as mealybugs, mealybugs and scale insects so that countermeasures can be taken at an early stage. In most cases, however, growth problems and a lack of willingness to flower with the Odontoglossum are due to care and location errors.
How can an Odontoglossum orchid be optimally fertilized?
The roots of Odontoglossum are quite sensitive to salt, so in summer you should only fertilize them sparingly with a special orchid fertilizer every 2 to 4 weeks. In winter, these plants can safely be dispensed with any fertilization.
What should be considered when caring for an Odontoglossum orchid in winter?
While the Odontoglossum orchids can grow optimally in summer at temperatures between 15 and 22 degrees Celsius, the range from night to maximum day temperature in winter should be around 12 to 18 degrees Celsius. In addition, the plants should be relatively bright all year round, but never in direct sunlight.
tips
The time of repotting can also be used to propagate Odontoglossum orchids. To do this, sections with sufficiently large roots and bulbs are simply cut off with clean planting scissors and planted in their own planter.